


Thinking About It

by EmeliaK



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, a chill layran, a little post-s2, a therapeutic masking layer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 20:17:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20297335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeliaK/pseuds/EmeliaK
Summary: Moca and Ran play ball, and Masking and Layer sound off.





	Thinking About It

**Author's Note:**

> (T. Back and forth, rhythmic, messy talk. Enjoy!)

Across a dusty baseball park, Moca calls out.

"Catch."

She tosses a softball towards Ran.

"...!"

Ran silently receives, and returns the throw to Moca, lower and faster.

"Hup."

The heat is blazing, but it's a less humid summer's day today, and it's beginning to burn off a little in the evening breeze. Of course, everything Afterglow does is best done in the presence of the afterglow. Moca slings the ball under her raised leg, and the resulting throw is kind of crooked.

"...!"

Ran moves to the left - Moca's left, her right - to catch it, then pitches back the same way she did the first time.

"Nice."

Inattentively, Moca wonders what it would be like if Tomoe hadn't found "afterglow" in the dictionary that fateful day. What else were they going to name themselves? Dusk? Sundown? Oh, yeah, Stratosphere. She makes her next pitch a lazy, soaring arc, set to drop a little behind where Ran is standing.

"...!"

Ran bounces back a few steps, catches, then pitches.

"So, uh."

Moca hurls an overarm this time, lightly as she dares without letting the ball just fall out of her hand.

"What?"

Ran stoops down and catches it at her feet, and returns.

"How, um. How's it going?"

Moca slings it sideways, on-the-mound-style.

"...how's what going."

Ran catches and returns.

"The... you know, the... you and..."

Trailing off, Moca tosses the ball a little in her hand.

"That was... a one-time thing, Moca."

Moca stops tossing the ball.

"Nnnno it wasn't, Rannnn, it was biiiig and definitely a loooot more than a one-time thing and I'm gonna say as maaaaany words as I need to weirdly until I get the *point* across that you definitely hooked up more than at least twice with that new band's leader."

Ran chokes.

"Wait. No. Not the leader. Okay, definitely not the leader."

Moca throws this one straight and mean, and Ran effortlessly receives.

"Yes the leader. Vocalist AND bassist? C'mon."

Ran flings the ball off to Moca's side, but not far enough that Moca doesn't dive for it successfully.

"She... Wakana is not the leader. Of the band."

Moca kneels up.

"Oh. No, not the cocky-ass kid with the cat headphones. Nah, fuck her. She's got, like, negative three she could hook up with."

Ran snorts.

"Negative five." Ignoring Pareo, maybe.

Moca bounces the ball against the ground.

"However negative-many you want. Nah, but, like - okay, so not the leader. Uh. The lead. Is that how they split it in English?"

Ran coughs, and then closes the distance to Moca so she can stop having to raise her voice.

"Yeah. It is."

"Nice." Moca drops the ball behind her, and it rolls away a little.

"But--"

"So I guess it's kinda like how Himari's our leader, but actually it's basically you who's the front of the band?"

"Yyyeah, but the cat kid actually, like, um, she controls the whole thing... and we're not really a control-y... kind of band?"

"Nah, yeah. True. Decentralised and democratised, baby."

"Yeah, sure. Okay. But. Wakana and I are not going out."

"Count one:"

Moca clears her throat, and kicks one foot firmly into the dust kind of unnecessarily for emphasis.

"We went to one of their lives on complimentary tickets, an' then afterwards, you made out with her while she was still sweating total buckets. And you weren't even meant to be backstage? I have no idea how you managed to get there or, like, when you disappeared, but thanks to the Pareo kid for guiding us right the way into your little jam when we were lookin' for you. C'mon, you can't explain that in, like, any way."

Ran doesn't bother trying, and just folds her arms. Moca instantly continues.

"Count two: we saw Masking in the restaurant and when she came over we all had completely normal interrogation Qs an' As for her until you really, really, even-by-Ran-standards weakly chimed in with 'how's Wakana doing? Do you know if she's busy right now?' which is one of the lamer things I've heard you say in probably one of the lamest voices? And then Masking straight up gave you her contact, an' you looked like you barely knew how to thank another human being anymore from the sheer heart attack."

Moca's exaggerating and she knows it. Ran just mumbled that thank-you really badly. Satou's kind of imposing, okay?

"Count three: you caught Minato getting harassed by cat kid an' came to her rescue. See, like, and the important part ain't Minato, it's how you even managed to do anything that time when historically cat kid's been complete unpussy? Which leads me, genius detective Moca Holmes, to believe that you know Layer good enough you learnt your way 'round cat kid too."

"Or I just tricked her into running somewhere? It's not that hard to do that if you feel like it."

"That was not the face of 'got news that's gotta make me run somewhere', that was 'just been told real shit and now I gotta listen to what's bein' meant', followed by 'gonna sourly but swiftly fuck off for now'. Case closed. Ring up the cells, chief, one more's goin' in for the docks."

Ran grimaces. "Whatever. Maybe you really should open up a detective agency, Moca."

"You can be my Ran Watson."

"That's... that's so lame."

"Then how about John Mitake?"

"Seriously, I'm fine. Uh... okay, look, you might think it's--"

"Count four:"

"Oh, okay."

"You barely hit on Minato afterwards."

"I've literally never done that!"

"Signs've been there. 'cept not as of recently. You've been..." Moca pulls out fingerguns and her smoky voice. "...distracted."

Ran grumbles and puts her fingertips to her brow. "Fine. Wakana and I get along."

"You ffffffff--"

"We! Do not... f...! God, don't say that out here!"

Moca leans back, hands behind head and satisfied. "So, what? Just making out, then?"

"Okay! Look, maybe she..." Handling Moca is so freaking _difficult_ sometimes. "...maybe she teaches me something every now and again."

"Teaaaaaacheeees?"

"Multitasking techniques."

"Ah, yes. Like the ancient scholars proscribed. For when you hafta fondle b--"

"No!! Guitar and singing!! There's an overlap in thought philosophy between rhythm and bass! I'm telling you the fucking truth!!"

"Yeah, okay, and I'm glad she totally taught you that sentence you just said, but Ran?"

"What?!"

"You were also making out."

Ran stomps the ground indignantly and growls, in a move to intimidate Moca, which works because going on well over a decade of Moca, she's actually very easy to tame if you just make her think you're serious enough.

"Fine. We hooked up. A couple times. Like, three or four or something. Now you know. Are you happy? Gonna tell the world? What is it, Moca? What's your fucking DEAL?!"

Moca is... very sufficiently intimidated. Hands up, stepped back, leaning away. "Woah. Okay. Sorry, uhh... I guess I just wanted to know? But if it's, like, actually somethin' this serious you're wrangling... uh, I guess my lips are sealed?"

"Fucking thank you."

"Just, um... mind me asking why?"

"She's... it's just... it's just happening, I guess...?"

"I'm guessin' your thing happening here is you're kind of embarrassed about it?"

"I don't wanna talk about fucking in public!!"

Moca's hands go up again. "Yeah, okay, message received. I mean, though, is she teachin' you anything about that too?"

"God, Moca. Okay. In all honesty? She's not, um, not that cool? She's just really good at looking cool, and being cool, but she's kind of, like..."

"She's sexy cool, but not cool sexy."

Ran closes her eyes.

"Yeah. Fine. Sure."

"So."

Moca looks back behind her, searching, and then wanders off a bit to pick up the ball.

"...yeah?"

Ran stays put.

"How long do you feel like going for with it?"

The ball flies over, rolls a little along the ground, and bounces off Ran's feet.

"Uh. As long as... as long as it does, I guess? We get along okay. It's not, like, a weird complicated thing? As far as I go? Don't gotta think about it too hard..."

"Rollin' with the Layer, huh."

"Yeah. Rolling with... the Layer."

Ran picks up the ball from the dust, fine yet rough, and shakes it off a little, watching the clouds disperse into the air.

The shadows in the park are getting longer.

Especially those two new ones by the entrance, which Ran notices first, followed by Moca -

Masking in standard delinquent outfit, Layer in standard casual leather.

Huh.

"Did you call them over?"

Ran tosses the ball to Moca, then stares off at the two coincidentally met.

"No."

Moca only half-notices Ran's throw, so the ball just bonks off her head - "geh" - which hurts, but Moca's not bothered to sell the pain short of rubbing the impact spot. Something's happening over there, after all.

Well, actually, it looks like over there is steadily becoming over here? Not that they seem to notice Moca or Ran.

(They're very animatedly arguing.)

"...said, I don't get it. 's it that complicated a thing?"

"It exactly is, Masking. I'm working out Hana-chan, I'm working out you, I'm working out Raise, I'm working out me. I just need to..." (Ineffectual arm wave.)

"Then why do, uh... more?"

"Because I don't have to think about it, I guess! So it's like a break from everything else when it happens... look, let me tell you, I don't tend to work this specific area out out loud. Why are we walking this way?"

"I'nno. You were."

"You were."

"I'm just walkin'. Look, Lay, once again, just me tryin' to input, 'cause, like, this sounds hard, maybe... but..." (Pacing, staring at each other. Masking puts her hands in her pockets.)

"Go on?"

"I don't really get it, yeah, but it's simple, right? Just don't worry about it?"

(Layer grabs Masking by the shoulders.) "But I need to worry about her! It's not like I'm a blank slate! So I might be getting myself mixed up in her business, right?"

"Really? So... it's, uh, a thinking thing, then."

(Layer leans in close.) "Yeah, it's a thinking thing. Look... it hurt with Hana-chan. We drifted apart, we came back together, and it... just... it didn't happen the way I always thought it would. You don't usually think too hard about the idea your hopes aren't there anymore, because they're your _hopes_... and here we are. She's not really my place anymore, and I'm not hers. Not like we promised to be as kids, anyway. I guess we need to figure each other out again..."

(Layer tries to continue, but trails off. Masking grumbles, and takes a moment.) "But the, like... whawasshe? I talked to her once, I think. Midake?"

(Three people in the park think the exact same name at the exact same time. Layer lets go.) "Mitake. You gave her my LINE."

"Oh. Yeah, that sounds right. Uh. She got anythin' to do _with_ Hanazono?"

"Not really, per se. She knows Poppin'Party?"

"So you're fine. I mean, it's good to reach out, right? Or, like, somethin'. Dun' hurt to know more people." (Masking shrugs.)

"Yeah..." (Layer sighs.) "I'm just worried. She's not a problem. I might be..."

"Oh, so is she, like..." (Masking spins her hands in circles, trying to conjure up her point.) "She helpin' you working out the Hanazono business, then?"

"I mean... personally, maybe? Maybe it's a little rehabilitatory." (Masking frowns a little when Layer drops in the dense word, but unpicks it.) "The thing is, she isn't in the same... screwy place I am. So I'm not about to start messing that up any time soon."

"So... you ain't told her anythin'?"

"No. I assume she knows because it all went down proximal to them, but that's not really here nor there between us? She's brought it up, but not really to pry. She's honestly just a courteous kind of kid."

"Yeah, she seems it." (Masking clears her throat.) "So she knows, but it don't matter."

"I'm guessing not."

"But, like, then... ugh, I don't get it. Where's the, like, issues happening?"

"I've been telling you."

"Yeah, but 's far as I can tell, they're all irrelevant??"

"...what?"

"'cause, like, you don't wanna mess with her. And you _were_ messin' with her, maybe. Or at least, that's the impression you were givin' to me. An' now you're not messin' with her. So the part where you're maybe messin' with her doesn't count. I don't get it." (Masking shrugs. Layer puts a weary hand to her head, and sighs.)

(Then she launches herself at Masking, pushing them both over to the ground.) "I'm trying to explain! It's hard in words!"

"Then you're--" (Masking pushes Layer off the top of her, but Layer clings on and drags Masking around top.) "--doin' a shitty job of it!"

"I just--" (Masking wrenches herself to the side, pulling Layer back on top.) "--said I'm trying!"

"What do you--" (Another roll. Now Layer's against the ground, staring up at Masking.) "--wanna do, then!?"

"Try not to fuck up--" (Masking now, face twisted in trying to comprehend the weirdo above her.) "--this decently constructive kind of--" (Now she's on top.) "--relationship that I managed to--" (And now it's Layer.) "--end up participating in!"

"You're not--" (Masking.) "--fuckin' it up!" (Layer.) "I mean, you're fuckin' each other, but--" (Masking.) "--that's not really, like--" (Layer.) "--brain kinda stuff!"

"But--" (Masking.) "--I might--" (Layer.) "--fuck it up!" (Masking on top, a twig in her hair, panting.) "And then it ends badly for both of us!"

"How!?" (Layer. Moca thinks about how Masking's yelling right now isn't very yelly, it's just kind of semi-loud and strained.)

"I don't know! It's all--" (Masking. The two are rolling past a couple yards away from them now.) "--whirlwind right now!" (Layer.)

"Just keep goin', then!" (Masking.)

"Rrrghh!" (Now they're just going with it for the hell of it, it seems. Layer, Masking, Layer, Masking... they roll until they hit a bicycle rail close to the other side of the park, disentangle, pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and then resume - if a little calmer - trying to convey ideas to each other as they walk out.)

(...)

The park returns to just Moca and Ran, loitering in the late summer evening and the faint sound of cicadas.

"Ran?"

"Yeah, Moca?"

"That was them, right?"

"...yeah."

"Does Layer usually have that much to say?"

"Uh, I don't think so."

"And, uh, I'm guessin' she's not usually, like, ever that worked up with you?"

"Uh... I don't think so."

"...you think we just watched 'em do something of, like, their own, then?"

"...maybe, yeah."

Moca stoops down, picks the ball up again, and gives it a couple absentminded throws in the air.

"Man. I guess it's good she has her not-being-sexy-cool moments. Seems kinda tiring or somethin' otherwise, right?"

Ran looks off at the sunset sky, and after a few moments of taking it in, she feels... charged enough to move to leave, patting Moca on the back as she passes.

"Maybe, yeah. C'mon, let's go home already."

Well, whatever, they're right. Ran's a courteous kid sometimes. All the complicated stuff on Wakana's end never really came up too hard when they hung out, so it's actually a little reassuring to have witnessed her and Satou airing it out. Plus, that actually seemed to kind of be about being concerned for Ran as well? Which was admittedly pretty cute. Makes Ran bounce a little in her step.

"Wanna hit up mine?" Moca asks.

Also makes Ran wanna reassure her next time. And it'll be kinda funny revealing in the process how she saw her and Satou roll across half the park.

"Mine, actually. Picked up some croissants earlier. Swing by yours for your guitar?"

"Cool with me~."

Yeah, it's good for some things to be simple.

You go, Wakana.

**Author's Note:**

> "The gap between these chords is kinda rough, Ran."  
"Oh. Uh... wait, why are our parts switched?"  
"Tryin' to figure out those multitasking techniques. Might make me better."  
"Just... just go ask Wakana yourself. Wait, you don't even sing?"
> 
> (heya! hope you enjoyed, this one's a lot of thinking about thinking / wakaran is also a good name for it. i stand by masking layer)
> 
> "I sing! Gotta practice for when I go duo with Lis, y'know?"  
"Ask her, then!"  
"Lis doesn't really dual up either. She does got good multitasking, though. Cooking, dancing, uh, the other dancing--"  
"Okay, _I_ didn't ask!"


End file.
